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This lavish tea-time treat is a really a cake for the summer. It is a good way of using up slightly bruised or overripe strawberries or making just a few go further. It was originally made in the north of England by young girls for their betrothed, hence the name. But as Strawberries are so popular for Valentine’s Day, maybe we can get away with making the cake for Valentine’s Day, too!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of butter

• 1 cup of sugar

• 4 eggs beaten

• 2 ¾ cups of self-rising flour

• 2-3 tbsp of milk

• 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream

• 1 ½ cups of strawberries sliced

• Powdered sugar to decorate

Method

1. Grease and line the basis of three 7-inch round cake tins. *

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

3. Gradually add the eggs a little at a time, beating well before each edition.

4. Fold in the flour, then add milk to give a soft dropping consistency.

5. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins and bake at 375 Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. **

6. Turn out and leave to call on a wire rack

7. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape. sandwich the cakes together with the cream and the strawberries, reserving a few for decoration

8. Dredge the top with icing sugar and decorate with reserved strawberries

Notes

• *For 9-inch pans, increase ingredients by half (eg. 1 cup flour= 1 ½ cups flour)

• **Swapping the position of the top and bottom cakes halfway through cooking will ensure an even rise and color.